


Facing the Fangs

by Andromedanewton



Series: Anita and Edward (my canon divergence) [17]
Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 08:16:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7794241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromedanewton/pseuds/Andromedanewton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anita arranges to meet with Jean Claude...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Facing the Fangs

The FBI were more understanding of the situation, they knew all about Olaf, or rather Otto, and wouldn't be pressing charges. They also knew all about me, Ted and Bernardo, in detail. It should have irritated me but it didn't. It meant we all had a better reputation than Olaf and they believed what had happened. Of course now it was on file that Ted Forrester was banging The Executioner but things could be worse. As far as I was aware Jean Claude had no links to the FBI so he shouldn't find out about things before I told him. Which would be soon.   
Somehow Theodore convinced Bernardo to drive the Humvee out to St Louis while we took a flight. I was anxious to get things over with with Jean Claude, just because my imagination was too lively and I needed closure. I was not looking forward to it, not one bit, but it was dragging on and I wasn't one to put off the inevitable.   
Incidentally, Theodore is an asshole to fly with. I would rather have had Edward, who would have made fun of my fear of flying, the teasing would have distracted me, but Theodore's way of helping me, and I use the term loosely, bordered on the illegal and definitely the inappropriate. There was touching and suggestions followed by disappointment when I refused to join him in taking out membership to the mile high club.   
It was late by the time we reached my place, it felt like forever since we had left here to search the hotel of Edward's double, and I was glad we had cleared out the coffee maker and rinsed the pot and mugs or there would have been a mouldy mess to have come back to.   
I finally made the call I had been dreading, trying to keep it short and sweet, but Jean Claude was never one to let me off lightly. He was glad to hear I was home safe and well, but meeting somewhere public when we had been apart so long? Ma petite, I am surprised at you. I told him not to call me that, it had been a long time since I asked him not to and he paused before replying. We agreed to meet in the back room at The Lunatic Café, so Richard could referee if we needed him to, also where Richard wouldn't let Jean Claude do anything stupid. I hoped. I tried to make it as soon as I could, but Jean Claude now knew something was up and was being awkward. He couldn't possibly do anything at such short notice, so I had to wait until late the following night. I pointed out he would have dropped everything if I had been offering to come see him at the Circus but he simply replied he had to be there 'just in case' and I was welcome to go there this evening, if I truly couldn't wait. I knew the café would be out of his comfort zone, so to speak, so I said no, tomorrow would be fine, and I would see him then. I hung up and rescinded his invitation to my home. If he wanted in he would have to ask and yes, it was petty not telling him to his face, but I didn't want to have him thinking he could just show up. We ensured all the drapes were drawn, so we couldn't be spied on, then fell into bed for more than sleep. 

I dressed all in black, head to toe, clothes and weapons, and Theodore provided me with some new toys I would appreciate and Jean Claude wouldn't if the meeting didn't go his way. I wasn't going into it thinking I might have to hurt him to make my point but it never hurt to be prepared. I should probably say something here about Richard and the Boy Scouts but I wasn't sure they were ever prepared in the way Theodore had prepared me. I had an extra gun in the back of my pants, light but deadly, and containing bullets with not only silver casing but silver nitrate in the tips that would explode and burn any preternatural who was unlucky enough to be in the way. My knives were in their usual spots and I made sure my cross was secure, knowing it would light up like a beacon of protection if Jean Claude were to try anything. Finally Theodore fitted me with a new belt. The buckle itself had detachable corners which became blades on two stiletto knives when pulled. They were encased in the leather of the belt and while they were flexible they were also high silver enough that when positioned correctly they would fit just fine between ribs for a kill shot to the heart. Theodore was very clear on that last point. I reminded him, again, I wasn't going to kill Jean Claude. I wasn't planning on killing anyone tonight.   
I arrived at The Lunatic Café knowing Theodore was two blocks away listening in through the earpiece he had given me. He was loaded up to the eyeballs, "just in case", and I didn't doubt there were so many more things I didn't know about on his person and in his hired jeep, which made me think it was Edward in my ear, Edward who was ready to go at a moments notice to ride to the rescue if I needed it.   
'How many cars in the lot?' He asked as I had just told him I had pulled up.  
'Nine, including Richard's.' I glanced at his 4x4 near the back entrance.   
'Not too busy.'  
'I'll believe that when I see it. Shit.' I recognised one other car. 'Jason's here.'  
'He won't be a threat.'  
'I don't mean he's a threat, I mean he's my friend but he's also Jean Claude's pomme. I hadn't thought this might fuck up our friendship.'  
'You'll miss him?' He sounded surprised.   
'If Jean Claude makes me cut ties with him then yeah, I will. He's a horny little wolf but he's a good guy. Getting out now.'  
'Stay silent unless you need a code red.'  
'Yeah, yeah.' I muttered, knowing we had been over this repeatedly and that I had reminded him they would all realise I was wearing the disguised Bluetooth headset. I actually hated the damn thing, it was uncomfortable but it was also weirdly reassuring.   
It was a Monday so the bar wasn't too full but the noise still flowed out of the door like a solid thing, the smell of lukoi greeting me as I crossed the threshold.   
Jason was sitting at the back of the room with Stephen and waved at me but didn't get up. A glance left and I found Richard, turning on his bar stool to look me over. He looked...gorgeous, as always, but he wasn't on my dance card any more.   
'You're early.' He pushed a glass of ice and a bottle of coke towards me and I hopped up on the stool beside him.   
'Of course I'm early. It's not often I'm late.'  
'Which probably means no complications. No one is trying to kill you.'  
'Not to my knowledge.' I poured the coke over my ice, waiting for the bubbles to die down before taking a sip.   
'Jean Claude said you sounded serious, angry, and wanted somewhere neutral to the two of you.'  
'I did, I do.'  
'Who chose here?'  
'Mutual decision after arguing about it.'   
'He wanted you to go to one of his businesses and you refused.' He guessed correctly.   
'Not very neutral.' I reminded him.  
'Is he going to be pissed?'  
'Probably.' I shrugged. 'He already seemed a little pissed I disappeared for a few days without checking in.'  
'You really didn't give him any warning.'  
'Because I didn't get any warning.' I glared at him and there was something in his deep brown eyes that told me there was more to the story than he was letting on. 'Have you two been talking about me while I've been gone?'  
'About the triumvirate, not really about you singly. About how it works, or rather hasn't been.'  
'In what way?' I checked my watch, I had five more minutes.   
'In the way that we either have to work together or not. It needs a stable three way base.'  
I looked up and saw Jean Claude watching us from the door leading to the back and I slipped off my stool. 'I might have the answer to our problems there.'  
He didn't ask me what I meant as I had already gone, walking through the door Jean Claude held for me. I followed him in silence, taking in his almost standard leather pants and flouncy white shirt as I did, and he said nothing, not even a greeting. We went into the meeting room and he turned when he reached the table, leaning against it with his arms behind him on the surface so it showed off his expanse of bare chest and cross shaped scar.   
'You wished we should speak.' He said simply.  
'Yeah, I did.' I put my hands in my pockets. 'There's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to come right out with it. We're done.'  
'Done, ma...Anita? I am afraid you must be much more specific.' He said flippantly, which meant he was really pissed off and probably already had a vague idea of what I wanted to say.  
I took my hands back out of my pockets, feeling defensive. 'You want specific? Fine, I know this triumvirate helps us all and we can't change it but I can't carry on being your sweetie. You're amazing but you're not what I want or need. You don't need me as a lover, and what you want from me is power, and you can have that, I'll keep acting as your human servant, but you have Asher back now and...'  
'You are jealous of Asher.' He laughed. 'He is not the man I once knew.'  
'No, but you still love him, I know you do.' I sighed. 'And I don't love you.'  
'And what has lead you to such a ridiculous conclusion?' He finally moved again, crossing his arms. His face was still carefully controlled, revealing no clue as to how he was feeling other than mildly amused.   
'I had an epiphany.'  
'And does this epiphany have a name?' I was quiet just too long and he appeared in front of me, I hadn't even sensed him move, and my heart jumped even if I didn't physically. 'You reek of another man, Anita, your skin is stained with his scent, leather and...gun oil? But it is not the same brand you use. It is almost odourless, as though it would fool those of us who can smell such things.'  
I sighed and looked away, unable to meet his eyes for a moment, before turning back to him. 'It's Edward.'  
'Edward? Your Edward?' He laughed, his mouth so wide I could see his fangs as he guffawed until he had tears in his eyes. 'Ma petite, this is some kind of jest. I did not realise he was capable of human emotion.'  
'I'm not laughing.' I pointed out.   
'And you do not think this is some kind of act? To get what he wants, although gracious knows what that could be.'  
'It's not an act.' I said defensively. 'It's been an...enlightening week.'  
He paused, his face becoming serious again, and he tilted his head to one side. 'You truly believe Edward will make you happy? Or is it Ted Forrester, bounty hunter you have grown so fond of?'  
'Both and neither.' I shrugged. 'It's complicated.'  
'Of course it is, Anita. I doubt the man would know the truth if it bit him.' He made sure he showed me fang on the last comment and I realised it was sinking in finally that we were through.   
'Maybe, maybe not, but I have to try.'  
'And if I do not release you from what we have? Force upon you the fourth mark and make you everything your precious Edward hates?' He said the words but he didn't really mean them, wasn't really serious about forcing me, he just wanted to see how I would react, and the answer with threats was always the same with me; creatively.  
'Then you, me and Richard will find out just closely we are bound, if any of us would live or die, because if you do that Edward knows I would rather die and I will do everything I can to help him pull the trigger.'  
He looked down at me for long moments, I stared right back, neither of us speaking or doing anything other than blinking. 'You truly mean that.' He said finally, his voice hushed.   
'I do.'  
'Yet you would still lend your power and name to me, as my human servant?'   
'I did it before, when we had no powers tying us, and I know you and Richard were discussing just that while I was gone.'  
'Oui, but we were thinking of something more...more.' He settled on.   
'I don't love Richard any more.'  
'And me, ma petite?' I let the use of my pet name slide this time, didn't correct him.   
'I know I don't love you like I do Edward. I never realised that I felt anything for him until I was forced to do so. You and I, we have all these metaphysical ties and I've never been able to be sure of what I felt. Now I know.'  
'And it is not love between us?' He raised a hand to touch my hair but stopped just short.   
'Not love, no. Something, but not that.'  
'A pity. I was so sure.'   
'So was I.' I smiled sadly. 'So, now what?'  
'Now I consider your offer.'  
I frowned heavily. 'This wasn't an offer, it was an explanation. I wasn't giving you a choice.'  
'And yet it still needs considering. I may wish to fight for you, Anita, just as I did when you thought you loved Richard.'  
'No, absolutely not.' I made a crossing motion with my hands. 'I don't agree to this.'  
'Then I shall have to do as I promised with Monsier Zeeman to have you cooperate again.'  
'No.' I shook my head. 'We're done, Jean Claude. We are over and I won't let you pull this same shit with Edward. Did it even occur to you that having Death on the same side as your human servant might actually be to your advantage?'  
Theodore's voice came suddenly into my ear. 'Abort, abort!'  
'Shut up.' I told him as Jean Claude quirked an eyebrow at me.  
'Is that he?' He pointed towards my ear and I nodded. 'May I?'  
I sighed and took out the Bluetooth headset, passing it to him. 'Don't say anything stupid.'  
'Bon nuit, Edward.' Jean Claude walked away from me and I felt empty all of a sudden, knowing he wasn't there, still in contact with me.   
Jean Claude spoke in French and Edward evidently understood and replied as it continued for several minutes before saying; 'Bon. We have an accord.' And passing me back the headset. 'All is well, Anita. You may leave. Edward shall explain all.'  
'Really?' I looked at him dubiously.  
'Really. I shall see you both in two nights.'  
'Okay.' I didn't move, just frowned at him and he laughed.  
'Trust me, Anita, all is well.'  
'Great. Okay. Mind if I just...' I reattached the headset. 'Everything okay, Edward?'  
'Fine. Head home and I'll explain it.'  
'Someone had better.' I turned back to Jean Claude. 'Maybe I should just let him do my explaining from now on.'  
'He is so much more rational.' He gave me his Gallic shrug. 'Now, run home and play house with Death.' He laughed to himself. 'It sounds like a preternatural sitcom, does it not?'  
'Glad you see the funny side.' I left anyway, not speaking again until I reentered the bar and Richard met me by the door.   
'That didn't seem to go too bad. All okay?'  
'How the fuck should I know?' I growled and left the cafe with Theodore's voice laughing in my ear.

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of the hardest things I have ever had to write! I just love Anita and Jean Claude together, but this entire work has been a huge step out of my comfort zone! If you have read any of my other fics you can probably tell I do have a lot of love for this particular fang face and I think he and Anita are good for one another, so breaking up with him, *sniff*, heartbreaking! But it wasn't a full severance!
> 
> Anyway, there is one more chapter and an epilogue to go, so tomorrow I will post both and you have to prepare yourself for the end! Sorry!


End file.
